No Faction Colors for Various Towns

[MarkQuinn]

Hi all.  First off I did use the search function and actually recall an old thread about changing faction colors....  I didn't read it of course because I didn't want to do that, but now wish I'd at least glanced the thread (and I can't find it now using search).

Anyway, this may be nothing but I have to ask.  I've returned to M&B after a vary long hiatus.  This time around (.903), I've played almost exclusively with M&B Classic.  Along the way I've made my own changes to that mod (texturing, town names, new items, that sort of thing), but I've grown to the point where I think I'd like to make my own module and give M&B my own sort of vision.  So I did that.  I added all my new armors, made all my changes and set off to play my newly modified version of Native.  Strange thing though: upon entering the world map I noticed that none of the towns or villages are color-coded.  All the names are white.  In fact all the faction units have white names also.  Since, as I said, I'd previously played exlusively with M&B Classic, I can't tell whether the all white towns are a feature of .903 Native or if I've screwed something up.  Thanks for any input.

 

[miclee1]

What code did you change in the module system?

 

[MarkQuinn]

I actually didn't touch the module system.

BTW here's the other thread I think I'd seen before....

http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,33004.0.html

 

[miclee1]

Then you really messed up... How did you add your items and stuff in, and change the stuff?

 

[MarkQuinn]

Basically I winged it.

Honestly I'm just learning, anf finding M&B isn't nearly as easy to mod as Oblivion.    To change the town names I directly changed the parties.txt file and it worked fine.
To add new items I picked and chose elements from other mods that had isolated resource files, then put them into the item_kinds1.txt using ItemEditor (again worked fine).  All of my retextures I simply added in .dds form to the existing textures folder (overwriting), and that, of course, worked fine.  But when I tried my hand at actually adding new items via newly created resources, nothing worked.  So I gave up on that.  But along the way, something, somehow, must have changed my module.ini because I just reinstalled M&B (backing up my changes) and noticed this:

The new default module.ini has the following lines at the bottom:

limit_hair_colors = 1
show_faction_color = 1
show_quest_notes = 1

The old (apparently ruined) module.ini did NOT have those lines at the bottom, and furthermore all the load_mod_resource lines I added were kind of truncated together....  So something I did changed that file.  Thank God I always back up religiously.  Back to square one I guess.

 

[miclee1]

This time, I reccomend using the module system.

 

[MarkQuinn]

Thanks Miclee.  As for the module system, well I would, if I knew what it was for.

Very slowly and methodically I'm trying to teach myself how to mod this game.  A message is posted saying ".903 Module System Released" and everyone gets really excited and I read the post and think Hmmm, I have no idea what any of this means.  I have a question and I use the search function like a good little forum-goer but notice that many of the tutorials on this forum are not written for dummies.  They assume you have some rudimentary knowledge of the tools and their uses, but finding that rudimentary knowledge is the hard part, as every subsequent search yields more tutorials which ... require a rudimentary knowledge.  Like this one, as an example: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,8437.0.html

I won't go into the various questions I have about that tutorial because those questions belong in that thread.  And so far I haven't posted questions in that thread or others because I believe if I search the forum with each new question, I can piece together the puzzle that is M&B modding all on my own.  But if my level of knowledge is, say, 3, and a tutorial requires, say, 5 or 10, then I need to take additional steps in order to know what they mean.  If messages about the module system use terminology in the 4-8 difficulty range, then there's no way I can ever see the benefits.  By contrast, if I see a shield or a surcoat that I like in a mod and can easily add the resource to my own module folder, and when it actually shows up in game looking the way it's supposed to look with the prices and ratings I give it, that's good enough for me at this early stage of my career.   And when changing the names of a town in a simple text file works, or changing "Hired_Blade" to "Knight_Escort" functions as it's supposed to, or replacing plate armor with a nice newly textured mail and surcoat item so that the battlefield doesn't resemble a bunch of tin cans clashing together --- and when all of this works --- I smile.  And I'm happy that I'm at least not SO much of a noob that I was able to see that the module.ini just didn't look right, and take the steps needed to fix it.

Module system?  I'll get there one day, my friend!

 

[Oubliette]

The module system is not that difficult to understand. While most of the documentation is out of date, you can quickly make sense of the more simpler .py files, such as editing the statistics on items, creating new factions, editing troops, etc. In essence it makes the text documents in each module folder fathomable.

The best way to learn to mod is to join in an existing project and help out with something, for example, covered by the more rudimentary aspects of the module system (which you can figure out easily enough by reading the documentation, reading the module .py files and testing various changes). If you join a mod project already with a scripter or someone with experience with scripting, they can then help extend your level of knowledge in that area in ways that tutorials never can.

 

[MarkQuinn]

Thanks Oubliette.  The best thing I could bring to the table is texturing.  100 Years Mod have any openings I wonder? (I ask that because I think that mod is my favorite, and, at least with my limited historical knowledge, I think that mod and its timeframe best encompases the M&B spirit)

 

[Oubliette]

Having just that to offer is something though - you can help others learn to texture in exchange for learning a new skill. Llew2's the person to contact if you're interested in helping out on the Hundred Years War mod. No idea how the progress on it is going, or what Llew needs help with though.

 

[Jubal]

I'm slowly chugging my way through wiritng a bunch of newer tuts on some of the .py files and the edit mode... hopefully I'll get the first few out next week.

 

[HardCode]

I would (shamelessly suggest ) downloading the Band of Warriors mod, which includes the source code in "../Modules/Band of Warriors/Source/". fisheye and NCrawler did a great job of commenting and formatting the code. You may be able to see the native code, in module_troops.py for example, with "new eyes," since the formatting breaks things down and is easier to read. You'll immediately be able to recognize which parts are a Hero's attributes, which part is a troop's equipment, etc.

Also, check out source code from other mods where there is source code available.

Here's an example from a test mod of mine, using similar formatting:

["khergit_horseman","Khergit Horseman","Khergit Horsemen",
	tf_mounted|tf_guarantee_boots|tf_guarantee_armor|tf_guarantee_ranged|tf_guarantee_horse,
	0,
	0,
	fac_khergits,
	[itm_nomad_sabre,
		itm_winged_mace,
		itm_nomad_shield,
		itm_leather_warrior_cap,
		itm_nomad_robe,
		itm_nomad_robe,
		itm_khergit_armor,
		itm_nomad_boots,
		itm_hide_boots,
		itm_spiked_helmet,
		itm_spiked_helmet,
		itm_nomad_cap,
		itm_steppe_horse,
		itm_steppe_horse,
		itm_hunter,
		itm_hunter],
	def_attrib|level(14),
	wp(80),
	knows_common|knows_riding_5|knows_power_draw_4|knows_ironflesh_1|knows_power_throw_1,
	khergit_face1, khergit_face2
],

["silvia","Silvia","Silvia", 
	tf_hero|tf_female, 
	0,
	reserved, 
	fac_player_faction,
	[itm_lady_dress_ruby,
		itm_blue_hose,
		itm_dagger,
		itm_hunting_bow,
		itm_arrows,
		itm_saddle_horse],
	str_7|agi_11|int_4|cha_4|level(1),
	wp_one_handed(26)|wp_two_handed(39)|wp_polearm(57)|wp_archery(75)|wp_crossbow(14)|wp_throwing(25),
	knows_riding_1|knows_power_strike_1|knows_athletics_2|knows_weapon_master_10|knows_inventory_management_3|knows_power_draw_1,
	0x00000000000c300401d9583dc924ad29
],